Page 52 of Best Friends for Never

She hurries away, and Gianna turns to us.

“I’d better go help,” she says. “Find a seat. We’ll bring everything out once it’s ready.”

She gives me another hug before breezing back behind the counter. Noel and I shuffle through the packed shop toward the back. I don’t miss how many people have their phones out and pointed our way. It’s so strange. Is this what Noel deals with all the time? People watching his every move like this? I couldn’t imagine how hard that would be to deal with.

“People are taking photos,” I murmur to him as we approach a table tucked as far away from the prying eyes as we can be without sitting outside.

“Yeah, they do that. Just ignore them. I’ll have my agent take care of it if they cause too much of a stir.”

He pulls my chair out for me, and it reminds me of all the times he’s done it before. He’s always been a gentleman like that. I’m glad to see that hasn’t changed.

“Thank you,” I mutter as he takes the spot opposite me.

And that’s the way we sit for several minutes—just there.

We don’t talk. We just sit.

It’s strange. We’ve been in this café together so many times before, but it’s different now, and not just because of the new paint on the walls and the new layout. Everything with Noel feels like that now—the same yet different. I’m not sure how I feel about any of it yet, just like I’m not sure how I feel about him staying.

I haven’t allowed myself to think about it much because what’s the point? He’s leaving again in six weeks. He’s here to help raise funds, and that’s it. That’s all it means.

“Man, I didn’t even think about it, but do you know how many Rossi breakfast sandwiches and subs I’m going to get now that I’m staying in town? Think it would be worth it just for that.”

“Does Gran know this? That the only reason you’re sticking around is for sandwiches? Not spending time with her?”

His eyes widen. “No, no. That’s not what I meant. I—I—I—” he sputters, and I laugh at his attempt to fix his mistake.

I know he’s not just staying for sandwiches. Or at least, Ihopethat’s the case.

He sighs, giving up with a grunt. “There are other reasons too.”

“Like my mother’s coffee?”

“For starters.” He grins, resting his arms on the small gray table we’re sitting at. “So, tell me more about this theater. I suppose since I’m sticking around and helping raise funds for it, I should hear some of your ideas.”

“Oh.”

I don’t know why his interest surprises me. Maybe because I thought he would use his name for clout and not do any of the hard work or careabout what’s happening. Why should he? He’s taking off again at the end of his stay, never to think about this place again, I’m sure.

“Well,” I start. “It’s going to be a dual theater.”

“People are going to be dueling?” He sits forward. “Are we talking about jousting or swords? Oooh. Or are you going with the Western theme—a good old-fashioned shoot-out? I’m partial to the swords. There’s real art behind master swordsmanship.”

I glower at him from across the table. “Dual.D-U-A-L.”

“Oh.” He settles back in his chair. “Less exciting—but continue.”

“Anyway ...,” I say pointedly. “We’ll have two sections: one for plays and one for actual movies. We’ll have to soundproof the heck out of it, and we’ll only be able to show one movie at a time, but it’s far better than the alternative, which right now means a three-hour round trip to see a movie.”

Noel nods a few times. “I like it. It sounds doable and makes the space more functional than what Ms. Goodman used it for.”

“Man, I miss that crabby woman,” I say about our old theater director.

Part of the reason it took so many years to get the renovation underway was because of her unwillingness to part with the building. Even though it was sitting empty after the tree fell through it, she still didn’t want to let it go. So it remained untouched until last year when she passed away and the property reverted to the town in her will. It then took another six months to convince the town council it should be used for a new theater. Of course, that led to me having to assure the others on the restoration committee it was a worthwhile project and that they should hire Cooke & Pruitt Renovations to head the project.

If it weren’t for my anonymous donor and Axel and me working so hard to prove ourselves capable of handling such a project by renovating rental properties and businesses around town, I’m not sure I would have gotten the green light to get the project off the ground.

I only hope the rest of the town has as much belief as my donor and turns out for the raffle next weekend so I can prove Leonard and all the other cynics wrong once and for all.

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